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Joe Martinez To Challenge Garcia For Congressional Seat

Joe Martinez, former chairman of the Miami-Dade County Board of Commissioners (Miamidade.gov)

MIAMI (CBS4) – Saying he wants to ‘shake things up’, former Miami-Dade commissioner Joe Martinez has announced that he intends to run against Joe Garcia for his seat in Congress in 2014.

Martinez, a Republican, told CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald that he’s been “meeting with different people and feeling them out, seeing what the level of support will be there.”

Martinez’s name has been mentioned in political circles in connection with the 26th Congressional District since Garcia, a Democrat, defeated incumbent Republican Rep. David Rivera in November, according to the paper.

Martinez lost his bid to become Miami-Dade mayor last year. He served on the commission for 12 years.